The honest outpouring of my heart as I live life as a wife, mom & friend in a broken world in need of a Savior.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Do you know how to rest?

On Saturday morning of Deeper Still, Priscilla Shirer spoke. Boy, did I need to hear this message!!

She spoke about how we all need a Sabbath rest. She several very direct questions. "Are we so addicted to the Chaos that we can't enjoy "rest" when given to us?" "What is it you are overdoing in your life?" She went on to say that we can be free from sin, but enslaved to things that are "lawful" but have spiraled out of control.

Several things came to my mind. I overdo with food, helping others & computer time. All 3 of these I have cut back on in past year. BUT then I feel guilty when I'm not as active. I've started to pick things back up that God told me to put down. Then Priscilla said this "We need to be free to say "I'm not God & I'm going to leave time for Him in my life." Wow! I so needed to hear that. So the guilt is gone. Yes, we don't do all the extra-curricular activities every other family is doing! But that is ok! Instead, we are getting up & having family quiet time. We are spending quality family time together & I am focusing on raising my kids. I am resting in God & leaving room in my life for rest!

So as I plan for the summer & next school year, I am keeping in mind that I need to carve out & create my schedule based on what God has put as a priority at this stage/season of my life. My priority is love God, love my hubby and love & raise my kids to love God! So if things don't coincide with that, then I will be cutting them out of my life. I am expecting God to move in my life & do great things.

Priscilla challenged us to take 14 minutes each day to "Shabbat" (rest w/God) & to clear 14" of space. Why 14" of space? Because when you have everything, you can find anything, enjoy anything or even see clearly. We need to take our attention off our stuff & put it on Jesus!

So far this week, I've spent at least 14 min each day resting in the Lord by spending time in His Word with my kids! I've also spent time by myself in God's Word. I haven't cleared any space yet, but I know several areas that I need to clean out. I want to clean out my twitter list. I want to get rid of those I follow who take my time away from my kids, mainly celebrities. I also want to clean out my homeschool stuff. It clutters my home & takes my attention from other things. I have lots of preschool things that I could be passing on to other homeschoolers & be a blessing to them.

SO do you have time & room in your life to rest, Shabbat? or are you so addicted to the chaos of life that you don't know how to rest? God meant for the Sabbath to be a way of life! He started us off with an example in the first book of Genesis! God rested on the 7th day! We need to have a time where we can pause & rest and enjoy the blessings God has given us.

What is out of control in your life? What has become so important to you that you can't enjoy everything because you have everything? Is it work? shoes? belts? homeschool materials? kids involved in every sport? laziness? food? computers? Twitter? Facebook? Working out? In & of themselves, none of this is bad. It's when they become our focus, our priority, that's when they are bad. I'm going to clean out my stuff & my time so I can have margin in my life! So I can have rest! I want to make Jesus my priority & rest in Him. Will you join me?